The Perseverance, London WC1, pub review

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Shortly after it was announced that, when it came to fruit and veg, five a day was not enough, the incomparable Matt drew a cartoon depicting a man in the pub asking the barmaid to put a cherry on his pint.

Had he been in the Perseverance in Bloomsbury, Matt’s chap could have called for the grilled Cajun chicken and avocado salad instead.

No, it wouldn’t have been as funny but, my goodness, there are more than five a day in there. I was feeling healthier with every mouthful. All sorts of beans and shoots, slices and slivers emerged from a carefully assembled pile, the deliciously vinaigretted veg interspersed with mouthfuls of zingy chicken that had a beneficial effect on the sinuses as well as the taste buds.

These American-style IPAs offer quite a mouthful. A head-full too: this one weighed in at a hefty 5% abv

A pint of (cherryless, but impeccably malty) Marston’s Saddle Tank (3.8%) saw off any lingering tingle with a satisfying roll over the tongue. It was one of three draught ales, all served in nine-gallon casks to ensure a rotating variation of flavours and strengths. Reunion’s Incredible Pale Ale was so packed with powerful hops that I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that it came from Twickenham in Oregon rather than Richmond. These American-style IPAs offer quite a mouthful. A head-full, too, if you’re not careful. This one weighed in at a hefty 5% abv.

Once known as the Sun Inn, this open, expansive street-corner bar dates back to the early 18th century in parts. Which may explain the extraordinary slope on the wooden floor in the upstairs function room, where the Bloomsbury Group are commemorated in words and pictures. It seems unlikely that Virginia Woolf or EM Forster would have approved of some of the books stacked on nearby shelves.

Had they been contemporaries, would the likes of Danielle Steel, Barbara Taylor Bradford and Dick Francis have been invited to join one of their soirées? It seems about as probable as me calling for another Incredible Pale Ale – and asking the barmaid to put a cherry on it.